Another big win for Falmouth hockey

LEWISTON—The Falmouth boys’ hockey team weathered a second period storm by the Lewiston Blue Devils and pulled away in the third for a 6-1 victory at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee Wednesday evening.

“We worked ourselves into a little hole in the second period,” said Falmouth coach Deron Barton. “(Lewiston) just plane out-worked us. In the third period, they decided they wanted to win the game and that’s what they did.”

Brandon Tuttle provided the offense for the Yachtsman (3-1) in the first period as he got the scoring started 2:25 into the game right after Falmouth killed a Lewiston power play. Assists on the goal went to Cam Bell and Jack Pike.

Tuttle scored an always key second goal with less than a minute in the first as Ethan Low dropped the puck back to Tuttle who released the shot at the top of the right circle which lit the lamp at the 14:05 mark.

“It was a weird angle and the goalie gave me a little too much on his shoulder, I just picked the corner,” said Brandon Tuttle.

“You would think that would give you a spark, but it didn’t,” said Barton of Tuttle´s second goal. “A lot of that has to do with Lewiston. They played an exceptional second period, as good as anyone we have played.”

The Blue Devils came out firing in the second period as they put 19 shots on Falmouth goalie Dane Pauls.

“I could see the rebounds and I could see where it went, if I can see it, if I can move over, I hope I can make the save,” said Pauls.

“He kept us in the game,” stated Barton. “He gave us an opportunity and a second chance to come back.”

The lone goal of the frame came from Lewiston (1-3) sophomore Kyle Lemelin, who beat Pauls at the 4:09 mark of the period. Assists went to Devon Beland and Ethan Melvin.

“I feel like we are maturing as a team and we have learned from our lessons,” Barton add. “Our first game with similar experiences was up in Brewer, we didn’t respond well and made some bad decisions, we paid for them.

“Here, we didn’t make those same decisions, we kept ourselves out of the box and we were patien. We got opportunities and we made them count.”

The Yachtsmen took control back in the early third period as Ben Freeman scored a shorthanded goal at the 3:40 mark. The helper went to Kris Samaras. Forty-nine seconds later, Mitch Tapley fired the puck past Evan Bourassa. Tuttle and Bell tallied assists on the goal.

“One of our mottoes is third period hockey,” Barton said. “These kids hear it from me 500 times a week. It starts when they enter the locker room and it goes to the time they walk out of the locker room.”

Kris Samaras recorded a goal of his own as he streaked in and released a snap shot at the 6:24 mark of the final period.

With a new goaltender in net for the Blue Devils, the goals kept coming for Falmouth. Hugh Grygiel made a pretty pass at the top of the crease and Aiden Bohmann had the open net to account for the 6-1 final.

Pauls made 30 saves for Falmouth while Bourassa made 20 stops for Lewiston. Brian Wigant made two saves in relief of Bourassa.

The Yachtsman had no power play chances while Lewiston went 0-for-4.

Falmouth (fifth in the latest Western Class A Heal Points standings) is back in action Saturday at home versus Waterville. Monday brings a showdown at Scarborough.